The Lebanese Minister of Culture, Judge Mohammed Al-Mortada, responded to the criticism against the Iranian regime, following the failed assassination attempt of writer Salman Rushdie.
He tweeted a photo of Qasem Soleimani embracing Imam Hussain with a caption that ended with a controversial statement that translates as follows:
“Were it not for the ayatollahs and the jihad of their children and allies […] many women would have been captives of Satan and his helpers.”
The Mortada tweet comes in parallel with intimation and terrorizing activities against notable Lebanese opponents of Hezbollah:
Lebanese journalist Dima Sadek is facing death and rape threats after she condemned the attack on Rushdie and posted a photo of Khomeini and Qasem Soleimani with the caption “The satanic verses.”
She publicly accused Jawad Nasrallah, son of Hezbollah’s chief, to have launched a public campaign inciting murder against her.
Lebanese photojournalist Hasan Shaaban is facing death threats to leave his hometown while he just did his work by covering a protest about the living conditions in the south of Lebanon.
Hezbollah partisans deemed the protest as a rebellion against Hezbollah’s authority in the area and accused Shaaban of “collaborator.”
In his tweet, Minister Mohammed Moratada, a judge appointed by Amal Movement as a minister, justified threats and killing. In response to the severe reactions to his statement, he defended his tweet as emphasizing raising awareness and protecting free expression rather than a call to kill.
Related:
Who Is Mohammad Mortada, Lebanon’s New Minister Of Culture
Mother Of Salman Rushdie’s Attacker Speaks Out Against Her Son, Revealing He Returned From Lebanon Radicalized.